


I Don't Believe in Miracles

by FrostlyToBe



Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe, Gen, Gore, Horror, Lots of other tags but don't want to spoil the story, Supernatural Elements, Vampires, Werewolf!GOM, Werewolves
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-10
Updated: 2016-05-30
Packaged: 2018-06-07 16:12:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 20,657
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6812764
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FrostlyToBe/pseuds/FrostlyToBe
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kuroko sometimes thinks that being invisible is a curse. But when he gets thrown into a world he never knew existed, his lack of presence may be the only thing keeping him alive. Evil is stirring beneath the earth, and Kuroko holds the key to a possible world massacre. There's only so much time before the past awakens and the world falls to it's knees. Hopefully, with the help of some unlikely allies, Kuroko can put a stop to the ominous doom looming above them all.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A New Dark

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone! This is my fist fanfiction on here. Please tell me how I'm doing with characterization, and if you find any grammar mistakes I'll fix them immediately. Feedback is greatly appreciated as is critique (anything to help improve my writing). Alright, enough rambling. Please enjoy!

"Tch, this sucks." a blue haired teen said to himself, though it was masked by the cheers of the towering crowd surrounding him. The numerous sounds hurt his keen ears and the different scents bombarded his sensitive nose without mercy. Aomine watched as a basketball went into the hoop of a team, creating the overwhelming shouts and noises of the mass to increase tenfold. He had to force himself not to place his hands over his ears; the continuous clamor was beginning to create a headache and already he was starting to feel woozy.

He huffed in annoyance. Why couldn't the Alpha have made the others go on this assignment? Since they're used to doing undercover missions they're more suited to this kind of environment. Aomine would much rather be in the middle of a battle than sneaking around playing ninja, trying to find two leeches. Patience wasn't one of his best qualities. But at least their targets were at a basketball game; it's been a while since Aomine has come close to any kind of enjoyment.

He tore his eyes away from the match and studied the clock. Only ten minutes left of the fourth quarter. He clenched his teeth in anger. All this time and they haven't even gotten close to finding them! I swear when I find even one of them I'll rip them to shreds personally for being so annoying! He thought furiously to himself as he pulled up his hood to cover his head and quietly slipped back into the heated crowd. He narrowed his eyes. I hate vampires.

***Line Break***

"That was amazing!"

Kuroko almost tipped over when a powerful hand rammed into his back, making him loose his balance. He steadied himself and looked up to the smiling face of Kiyoshi.

"I only passed the ball as usual." Kuroko responded as he wiped a towel over his wet forehead. The game had been an intense one, he was sure they weren't going to win when almost all their offensive maneuvers had been defeated by the other team's defense. And being a team that practically relies on their run-and-gun style made their odds for winning seem slim. Barely any of Kuroko's passes had made it through the team's openings and Kuroko was furious that he was so useless during the game.

"But if it wasn't for you then we wouldn't have been able to make that last score and win!" Koganei swooped in a wrapped and arm around Kuroko's shoulders. He patted his head a few times, grinning impishly before taking off to change out of uniform.

Kuroko sighed and smoothed his hair down. True, they were down by one point and the game only had twelve seconds left. All of them were tired and about pushed to their limits. But when Kuroko was thrown the ball he saw Kagami break free from the one marking him and took a chance by passing the ball to perform one of their infamous alley-oops. If Kagami had been even a second off they would have lost the game; a lot of faith was shown between the two members in order to execute that one play. And Kuroko wasn't disappointed when Kagami slammed the ball into the basket gaining them two points and winning the match.

Kiyoshi smiled cheekily. "For a second there I thought we would have surely lost. But it's good to know that you have teammates that don't give up, even till the end." He leaned down and ran his hand through the smaller teen's hair, tousling the strands and making it stand up.

Kuroko swatted his hand away and pressed his hair back. He couldn't help but think that the tall brunette did that on purpose to get on his nerves. Why was it that everyone wanted to touch his head or mess up his hair? It's not like he enjoyed the contact and quite frankly it only proved to annoy him. Kuroko let out a puff of air and turned his gazed to his light who was just starting to change out of his clothes. Kuroko excused himself from Kiyoshi and joined Kagami near the end of the locker room.

"You don't look very happy."

"Gaaah!" Kagami jumped in the air and dropped his water on the ground. "Kuroko!" Kagami glared at the bluenette at fault. "Would you stop doing that?!" he leaned down to pick up the overturned bottle. Thank God the lid was closed. "And what do you mean I don't look happy?"

Kuroko stared at the team's power forward with irritation. It wasn't too hard to figure out that Kagami's usual bravado after a game was slightly diminished. Having his attacks repeatedly stopped one after another was enough to put the fiery player into a heavy gloom.

"Kagami-kun's emotions aren't that hard to figure out." Kuroko elaborated while he took off his shirt and changed into a fresher one. "Did the game upset you?" he asked quietly and pulled on a new pair of pants.

Kagami closed his eyes and clenched his teeth before slamming his fist into the locker in front of him. "I was completely useless! I couldn't do anything against them!"

Most of the team had already left the room but his sudden outburst caught the attention of Hyūga and Izuki, the only ones who were left besides them. They shared a glance before joining the rookie-duo.

Hyūga crossed his arms and stood in front of the distraught redhead. "You weren't completely useless. If you hadn't been there then most of our shots wouldn't have made it through the first half." He tried to reason with him.

Hyūga's words didn't seem to dissuade Kagami's thoughts though when all Kagami did was frown and look at his shoes, so Izuki put a hand to the younger's shoulder to try and comfort him. "Look, even if you didn't score as much as you usually do, you were the only one to break through their defense and keep them from scoring so much." Izuki smiled reassuringly.

Kagami snorted and roughly pulled his arm away from the point guard. This action marred the usual coolheaded teen's face with a frown of his own. Izuki didn't say anything about it but that didn't go for the same with the clutch shooter who had an enraged expression. Kagami sweat dropped and took a nervous step backwards when he saw his captain's appearance. Maybe he had taken it a bit too far.

"Bakagami!" Hyūga yelled and smacked the back of his underclassmen's head vigorously. "All we're trying to do is help you! You don't have to act all pissy about it!" He hit Kagami again for good measure to get his point across. "I won't stand for this kind of disrespect from an underling!" Kagami reared back clutching his abused head but still wouldn't take his eyes off the ground. Hyūga sighed and placed his hands on his hips. "Idiot, we won the game because of you two. You should be happy."

With those last words Hyūga turned around and exited the room, Izuki smiling sheepishly at them before following their captain. Kuroko watched them leave thoughtfully for a moment then resumed staring at the confused redhead. Kagami was silent for a while until he noticed his shadow giving him a blank look.

"What?" he snapped and turned back to finish getting ready.

"They're right you know." Kuroko answered quietly. He stuffed his sweaty uniform in his bag and laced up his shoes. Kagami only stood there watching the small phantom with a dejected look on his face. He released a breath of air and pulled his bag over his shoulder.

"It's not like I think they're wrong. I just can't help but feel like I wasn't much help in the game with being stopped and all." The redhead led the way through the building, his pace was slow as he thought over the previous match. It frustrated him that the players made it look so easy to stop the ace of Seirin's basketball team. Kagami had gotten so furious that Aida had taken him out of the game to cool his head for a while.

Kuroko followed Kagami silently. He knew exactly how Kagami felt all too well. It infuriated him that almost none of his passes had made it to his teammates. It wasn't that the other team could see him, his misdirection wasn't something that could be easily outdone, but whenever a pass was made to the phantom player all of the other team members were being blocked by the tight defense the others held. So there wasn't much Kuroko could do when he had the ball for too long and was soon seen by the enemy players.

Kuroko gripped his bag a little tighter. It made him feel so helpless.

While Kuroko was walking his head had been lowered to face the ground. The match had left him feeling quite downhearted and he didn't want to see the cheery faces of the people they passed so he kept his eyes on the back of Kagami's feet. But when Kagami's form shifted and a new pair of feet walked passed him, it was only a few seconds before those feet came too close and the body that was attached to them came crashing into the lithe bluenette.

Kuroko felt the ground come into contact with his backside and a dull throb shot through his spine at the impact. He let a small "oof" escape from his mouth. The first thing Kuroko observed about the figure in front of him was that he was tall, perhaps even taller than Kagami. His eyes traveled to the face of the person and landed on dark blue eyes that held a glint of surprise in them. Apparently his presence, as usual, had gone unnoticed by the dark skinned teen. Kuroko could see the tips of deep blue strands of hair peek out from under the hood he was wearing. Kuroko couldn't help but feel a little intimidated by the menacing aura the teen practically oozed.

The teen's stance morphed into a casual and laidback posture before his face changed into annoyance. "Oi, watch it." The taller snapped and moved around the fallen bluenette, continuing on his path.

How rude. Kuroko mused to himself and stood up, patting dust off his clothes. He watched the other teen walk down the corridor before disappearing around a corner. Kuroko thought of how the bluenette's eyes had changed so intensely when he had bypassed him; it was almost eerily scary. Who was that person? Kuroko stared after the retreating back of the stranger but was called over from Kagami when he noticed the phantom player had been left behind. Kuroko shook his head and hurried to catch up.

When the duo stepped outside they were met with the cool breeze of early spring. It caressed their cheeks and bit at their noses. Kuroko pulled up the collar from his jacket higher to cover his face. They walked for a while and soon the sun had set behind the buildings of the city. When they came to the point where they would go their separate ways it was dark out and the temperature had dropped quite a bit.

"See ya later Kuroko." Kagami waved and headed down the street.

Kuroko held up his hand. "Goodbye Kagami-kun." He wasn't very pleased when they had been told where the game was being held. Since it was so far away, it would be a good other hour before the bluenette would arrive home. It was already so late at night and Kuroko could see his breath in the brisk air. Kuroko heaved the bag further up his shoulder and began the long walk back home.

The walk itself wasn't hard, but after playing such an intense game it left his muscles aching and begging to stop and rest. Kuroko stood next to an old building and placed his hand on the cold brick. It bit into his flesh but he didn't have the strength to remove it and leant heavily against the wall. Curse his horrible stamina! Now he wished he had taken the train instead.

The small teen shook his head to clear the vertigo and took a step forward. But that was when he heard the, otherwise small crash, of a trashcan tipping over in one of the alleyways from across the street. The bang seemed to reverberate through the silent city.

The ominous sound unnerved Kuroko. It's probably just a stray cat. He told himself, trying to ease his mind from the eerie alley. He clutched at the strap of his bag tighter and, ignoring the black hole between the two buildings, put another foot in front of the other to continue his walk home. He made it another few steps before the rattling sound of a bike tipping over reached his ears.

The bluenette paused mid-step and glanced over to the upturned bicycle behind him. The chain that held it to the lamppost was broken and the front wheel of the bicycle was spinning around as it lay. Kuroko gulped, he had just passed that bike. Maybe the chain was just old. He tried to reason with himself. This was starting to look like the beginnings of a horror film.

He picked up his pace and rounded the corner leaving the ethereal bike and strange noises behind him, only to come face to face with a street that was almost completely in the dark. The lights to all the lamps had peculiarly gone out besides the occasional two that flickered on and off with the usual low buzzing sound. Kuroko looked behind him to the previous street. He couldn't go the way he came, the street eventually became a dead end and never came close to Kuroko's house. On the other hand though, Kuroko didn't feel much to go treading through the dark and creepy pathway. But it was practically the only, and fastest, way to get home.

Sighing to himself Kuroko thought that with his luck so far he'll probably come across a big hole and fall into it. Making up his mind, the phantom player drew in a quick breath and all but ran through the blackened mist, the darkness swallowing him up as he ventured further from the safety of the light.

The street seemed to stretch on forever and as he ran through the murky street Kuroko was on the verge of collapsing from his muscle exertion. The cold air burned his lungs as he panted, desperate for air, and made his throat feel as if it were closing up painfully. Kuroko flew around the corner and stopped to catch his breath, his knees practically buckling under his weight. He closed his eyes and lifted his hand to the light pole beside him to steady his balance.

Once his heart slowed down and he almost caught his breath Kuroko opened his eyes to see shiny shards of glass litter the ground around his feet. He took a few steps back to observe the streetlamp above him. The glass had been broken and the tiny bulb resting inside of it flickered on and off in its last desperate attempts to remain lit.

The phantom player glanced to the other lamps residing on both sides of the sidewalk and, upon noticing that the same fate had been given to them, came to the conclusion that someone had purposely broken all the lights down the street. Kuroko watched as the small lightbulb gave its last flicker of life before the area surrounding it was obscured in darkness. It didn't help Kuroko's case when he looked to the sky and saw that the moon was hidden behind a layer of storm clouds, showing the promising signs of rain later.

The anxious bluenette turned back around to continue his journey, having grown tired of the little escapade. He was now beyond exhausted with having his adrenaline heightened for the second time that day and just wanted to go home and sleep the rest of the day away in his nice comfy bed. He trudged forward in the direction of his house.

Now Kuroko was well known for his ability to observe things quite quickly in great detail. So even when he was practically half dead and his eyes were on the edge of becoming blurry with his heavy eyelids, Kuroko caught the barely visible flash of motion from in front of him.

The form itself wasn't that distinguishable since it was coated in black but Kuroko could have sworn that the thing looked like the body of a person. It wasn't a while after that when he heard the unmistakable sound of footsteps. But that wasn't the only problem. As they came closer Kuroko could pinpoint the numbers of the steps and concluded that there were at least three people surrounding him.

They ran around him in circles. Never giving away their specific location but not near enough to where Kuroko could identify them. All he could see were the blackish blurs they left behind as they glided through the night. Having enough of this Kuroko took off at a sprint, a new batch of adrenaline rushing through his veins. He couldn't say he wasn't glad. The adrenaline was most likely the only thing keeping him going at this point.

Kuroko dodged through winding turns in the streets and made sudden changes in his direction to try and throw his pursuers off. His heart felt as if it was going to burst through his chest but Kuroko pushed through the pain. He would rather not become a victim to whatever those three were possibly planning for him.

He knew that going home to his empty house wouldn't be the best option, so the bluenette stopped short and changed directions again to head down to Kagami's place. His apartment was settled in the middle of the city and Kuroko hoped that his pursuers didn't have the courage to go chasing him through the crowded streets of the city. He whipped out his cellphone and shakily pushed the numbers to Kagami's cell.

He only got to the last number however. Kuroko was about to dial the call button but was stopped forcefully when something not unlike a wall blocked his path. One second he was running for dear life but in the next, Kuroko had ended up on the floor not knowing what had happened. The impact had forcefully taken the breath from his lungs and his phone was lost in the fall. Kuroko lay there gasping for air and tried to come up with an answer as to why Lady Luck just didn't seem to be on his side today.

He raised his head groggily only to see his pursuers and decided that luck had a definite nasty sense of humor. He sighed in defeat and let his head hit the ground again. Maybe they were just some people who needed directions to the nearest convenience store? Kuroko took one look at the malicious glint in their eyes and squashed that thought down. However, he then noticed that only two of them were there. Odd. He thought. He could have sworn that there were three of them.

He shakily stood up and dusted the dirt off from his clothes in an attempt to seem impassive. If these guys wanted to get a rise out of him then he wouldn't satisfy them in the least.

"I'm sorry," Kuroko began, "I didn't see you there." Maybe he could talk his way out of this. If anything he could at least distract them long enough so that he could slip away using his misdirection. It was a large gamble but it was worth the risk. He might be able to collect his phone along the way and call the police. His eyes began to lazily drift inconspicuously along the ground for his phone; he should probably hurry before another one of them came to help.

"Oh, it's quite alright."

One of the two spoke up. Kuroko studied his rather small appearance and jumpy way he seemed to move. The guy appeared as if he couldn't stand still and was constantly moving around. His eyes carried large bags beneath them like he had insomnia and flickered every which way in suspicion. He was short, even shorter than Kuroko and had unevenly chopped hair covering his eyes. Kuroko caught the glimpse of blue eyes through the curtain of his black hair. "You see, that's what we wanted. We just love to play with our food before we eat. Don't we Shion?" the insomniac addressed a larger male beside him. Ignoring the odd use of words, Kuroko's attention moved to the other male.

He was extremely buff. That was the first thing that ran through Kuroko's mind. The one called Shion looked as if he could lift a car with one hand. His brown hair was unkempt and his green eyes drooped in laziness, as if he threatened and killed people on regular bases. And just like his appearance portrayed Kuroko wasn't disappointed when he heard the telltale deep voice ring in his ears when he replied to insomniac's first question.

"No I actually think it's just you who likes to do that." Shion deadpanned unenthusiastically. "Besides, we aren't here to eat him. We have a job to do remember?"

Insomniac crossed his arms in a pout at Shion's statement. "Why do you always have to be such a buzzkill Shion?" he stomped his foot like a three year old.

Kuroko was a bit amused that the two possible serial killers could be so childish, and they didn't seem to know that you shouldn't take your eyes off your captive. Kuroko, having located his phone, sneaked a few steps to the left to where he was within reaching distance of the electronic. The two continued to argue, practically forgetting about Kuroko. He silently reached down to pick up his phone but it was swiped away before he got within three inches of it.

A little annoyed Kuroko stood face to chest with the mysterious third member who suddenly showed up. I knew that there were three. He mused to himself.

This one, unlike the other two, looked normal. Kuroko had to lean his head back a bit to see his face but other than his height the guy seemed pretty average. He had black hair that was slicked back out of his eyes and a common looking face, and he wore clothes that didn't particularly stand out. All in all, he was the kind of person you could easily forget about, but when Kuroko got to his eyes, his breath caught in his throat. His eyes weren't normal at all. The whites of his eyes were black leaving the color of his irises to be the only thing visible and large black veins protruded from his face, surrounding his eyes in a cryptic maze of black. What's more is that when he grinned ruthlessly at the bluenette, he showed off abnormally large canines framing his mouth.

Kuroko gulped and took a step back. Now he knew for certain that his fatigue was catching up to him and causing him to be delusional. But just why did his mind have to make up something like this? He didn't even like supernatural things!

The creepy eyed male held up Kuroko's phone with a leer. "Did you want this?" he asked nonchalantly. When Kuroko didn't reply and only stared tentatively at him the man sighed as if Kuroko ignoring him hurt his feelings. "Well, it doesn't matter seeing as you won't need it anymore once we're done with you." The phone snapped in his hand and Kuroko watched in disbelief as his phone fell to the ground in pieces.

"Oh! Ryuga you're here." The insomniac pranced up to Ryuga with a cheery grin on his face. "We caught him for you. This is the one you wanted right?"

Ryuga looked thoughtful for a moment assessing Kuroko. "Yes it is. You did a good job Nataru."

Kuroko narrowed his eyes a bit. He didn't like the way they kept referring to him as "it." He glanced down at his phone again and mourned the unfortunate death it had gotten. Dismissing the fact that he didn't have the money to buy a new one he turned back to his kidnappers. "Who are you people?" Kuroko asked aloud, capturing the attention of the three.

Shion shuffled up to the group and shoved his hands in his pockets. "I'm afraid that you are asking the wrong question and thus we won't answer." Kuroko almost snorted at his reply. Wasn't the buff guy supposed to be the idiot of the group? At least he knows he won't be kidnapped by the average, clichéd gang. Yay me.

Kuroko took another gander at the strange trio before him, avoiding the abnormal gaze of Ryuga. I hope that's just make-up. "What. . ." he started, feeling as if he wouldn't be able to walk away from this encounter, "are you?" he finished quietly.

Ryuga developed a satisfied expression of his face and took a step closer to Kuroko. "Are you a believer in fairytales Kuroko-kun?" the tall ravenette began. Kuroko, ignoring the fact that the guy knew his name, shuffled on his feet not liking where the conversation was headed. "How about mythical stories or folktales?" he continued. He walked around Kuroko circling him in a trap with nowhere to go. "What if I told you," he stopped in front of him with an amused grin, "that they were all true?"

Kuroko sucked in a breath to keep a chuckle from escaping his lips. Did the guy even know just how cliché that sounded? What was he going to say next? That they were fairies coming to take him to a magical land and call him king? Ppffft. Well there goes them being an original gang. Not only are they dull, but they're delusional too.

"I can see this amuses you." Ryuga stated crossly. "Then let me say that this story won't be a particularly happy one. For you see Kuroko-kun, we are the ultimate hunters of this world and you happen to be our prey."

Kuroko almost rolled his eyes. But in fear of setting the obviously insane lunatics off he refrained from any offending actions. Even if they were deranged they still had the power to hack Kuroko's head off and he was rather attached to his head thank you very much.

"So you're vampires?" he guessed more out of impatience than anything. This conversation was dragging out for far too long and he wanted them to get done with whatever they were planning.

"Awww, you ruined it!" Nataru exclaimed with a crestfallen frown. "You're supposed to let us tell you!"

Shion and Ryuga all but face palmed at their friend's idiocy.

Kuroko watched uninterestedly as the two began to scold said idiot. He stared at the three as an argument broke out between them and soon afterwards a fist fight had commenced. Was it supposed to be this easy? He asked himself. With one last glance at the feuding trio, Kuroko spun around and took off down the street leaving the idiots who failed at kidnapping him behind.

At first he thought he was home free but after a while he could hear the angry shouts as they realized that their prey had gotten away. It shouldn't matter. He thought. I'm already too far away. But a few steps farther was all the time he got before he could hear the other's footsteps slowly catch up. Were they some kind of marathon runners? How could they possibly be that close already?

Kuroko had second thoughts about them being vampires. Could it actually be possible? Were there actual supernatural creatures living beneath the noses of humans? As they got closer Kuroko had a sinking feeling on what to do next. He clearly couldn't outrun them. And this chase had begun to take on the effects of cat and mouse. Kuroko was getting anxious at the thought of what they would do to him once they captured him.

Would they beat him till he passed out? Torture him then leave him to die? Or perhaps they would actually capture him and he would never get to see his family again. Kuroko felt his stomach churn violently at the thought. He quickly shook his head, ridding himself of the unwanted thoughts. He needed to focus if he was to escape the "vampires" on his tail.

Kuroko rounded a corner and sprinted full speed ahead. He glanced at his surroundings and immediately felt reassurance. He knew where he was. Just a few streets ahead of him there was a police station. If he could make it inside then perhaps the vampires would leave him alone.

He saw the lights from the building shine through the darkness and he was relieved to know that he could finally get those lunatics away from him. The thoughts of a warm bed waiting for him made him push forward with a new burst of speed. However, in his haste he didn't notice the shadow of a body fly up beside him and it was already too late to stop before an arm wrapped around him. Kuroko wanted to cry out, scream, yell, or something to get anyone's attention, but Ryuga's body twisted with him in his grip and Kuroko was sent spiraling to the ground for the third time that day.

It hurt more this time around. Using Kuroko's momentum, the black-eyed teen had flipped Kuroko over his shoulder and considering his height, Kuroko had a long ways to go before his body met the earth. The sound was sickening as he made contact with the concrete and the back of his head banged roughly on the ground. Kuroko lied there, unable to move. His eyes were wide as he stared above him, gasping to replenish the air that left his lungs.

He couldn't think coherently. His thoughts were jumbled with the repeated throbbing of pain flashing through his head and down his body. He couldn't believe it. They weren't kidding about hurting him. Kuroko grimaced in pain when he felt the beginnings of blood starting to pool around his head. He must have gotten cut. Kuroko lay stiff as his vision was blocked by the cruel smirk of Ryuga.

"I don't like to be underestimated Kuroko-kun." Ryuga looked down on him his mouth turning into a toothy sneer, his sharp teeth glaring in the reflected light. He snapped his fingers and Kuroko could only helplessly groan in agony when he felt hands pull him up from the ground to stand him side by side with Shion and Nataru. His legs felt weak and they shook under the strain from his weight. Kuroko could barely keep his eyes open as his head rolled limply to the side to stare at the ground.

His chin was jerked roughly up to face Ryuga's as the tall ravenette scrutinized him. "Why didn't you believe us when we told you we were the best hunters this world has to offer? It was pretty stupid to run off like that." Kuroko tried to give the black-eyed teen a glare but it only made him squeeze his eyes shut from the shock of pain shooting through his head. Ryuga chuckled.

"Ryuga-san! You made him bleed!" Kuroko felt an uneasy shift from beside him. "You know that I haven't eaten in weeks, this is torturous for me!" Nataru's grip tightened on Kuroko's arm. The new pain was a good distraction from the constant throbbing behind his eyes. He was starting to feel the blood drip down his neck and stain the collar of his jacket.

"They never said that we couldn't taste him." Shion spoke up from his other side, startling the bluenette. Kuroko almost forgot about the brunette beside him. "I don't think it would matter as long as we don't kill him." He stated evenly.

Ryuga let go of his chin and took a step back. "Then by all means, let's eat." Kuroko felt a rough shove from behind his knees as he was knocked back to the ground, this time though, he was sitting with his legs stretched out in front of him. Shion and Nataru backed away from him. They aren't really going to drink his blood are they? He watched as Ryuga slowly sauntered to his side.

Kuroko let out a strangled noise and frantically pushed back with his arms and legs, trying to get as far away from the approaching teen. What the hell were these guys?! Kuroko felt a spark of fear shoot through him as Ryuga advanced leisurely, his expression turning feral as the canines in his mouth lengthened before his eyes. The other two at the sides chuckled at the retreating teen. Kuroko gulped and turned around on his hands and knees, trying to pick himself up from the ground.

It's no use. He told himself. There's no one here and no place to go. This is it.

Kuroko clenched his teeth to muffle any sounds of pain as Ryuga pounced on his back, pushing him face first into the ground. The cold street stung and cut into his cheek. Kuroko lay there without struggle, having given up and closed his eyes in defeat. Just get this over with.

Kuroko sucked in a breath when he heard a triumphant snarl from the towering teen and felt his teeth on his neck just starting to puncture the skin. But they didn't get any farther than that. Kuroko heard a click from beside them and suddenly a large bang sounded, filling the streets with its echoes. The air was quickly filled with a thick red mist. It stunk of decay and metal and was sticky as it landed on them. Kuroko didn't know what to make out of it. It didn't seem to have any effect on him but that didn't go for the same with the trio behind him.

Kuroko was confused as the weight of Ryuga was suddenly gone and screams filled the air around him. Kuroko pushed himself onto his elbows and slowly lifted himself to his knees. He couldn't see much through the pungent mist still hanging in the air but he could still make out the forms of the vampires writhing in pain on the ground, their choked screams and coughs filling his ears.

Ryuga shifted closer to the bluenette and Kuroko almost threw up the instant he saw the skin where the mist had touched them bubble like a burning rash, creating a sickening hissing noise. Kuroko placed his hands on his mouth, covering his face as he gagged at the stench. The smell of burning flesh brought tears to his eyes and Kuroko shakily crawled out of the smoky area, desperate for fresh air.

He scraped up his hands and tore the cloth around his knees as he dragged himself away from the trio. It was worth it though, when his face hit the cold air and he took in much needed oxygen. Kuroko coughed a few times, trying to rid himself of the stench sticking to the back of his throat. Keeping his head down, Kuroko shakily stood up, swaying a bit as the wooziness in his head heightened from the sudden movement.

He lifted his hand to the back of his head, wanting to know just how much damage was done. When his fingers touched a rather large gash in his flesh he quickly pulled away with a hiss, his touch making the cut sting angrily. He brought his hand in front of his eyes to see it covered with blood. My blood… Kuroko hastily wiped his hand on his tattered pants, the blood smearing and standing out on the white uniform.

He sluggishly lifted his head, cautious of any fast movements. He needed to get away. Those guys could come back any second and Kuroko didn't want to wait to try and find out if they were even still alive. Kuroko blinked a few times and looked ahead of him but was taken back by the narrowed gaze of golden eyes that seemed to glow through the darkness. They were unnaturally bright and all but gave off their own glow in the black night. Kuroko stared, enraptured by their light before being startled by a wet cough from behind him.

He took a hasty step forward in attempt to get as far away as possible from the vampires but his body shook with effort and gave out in its last endeavor for safety. Kuroko fell hard to the ground, his body collapsing without his consent. The bluenette let out a muffled "oomph" when he was suddenly lifted from the ground, his weight being carried by arms.

Kuroko hazily made out blonde hair from under a hood and sharp golden eyes before darkness consumed his vision and his head fell limp against their chest.


	2. Eyes in the Dark

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since there was such great feedback on the first chapter here is the next one!! Please enjoy!

Aomine rubbed at his eyes tiredly. After all this time of searching, he didn't even come close to finding them! The bluenette was sure he looked everywhere for the annoying leeches but it was like they weren't even there. He couldn't even pick up a stale scent from at least one of them. Not only that, but this was possibly the worst environment to be in, especially for someone of his kind. Constant noises and scents put his senses on overdrive and the continuous work had built a rather large headache behind his eyes. At least the game was interesting enough. He thought to himself.

While the teen had been on lookout he had come face to face with the endearing smells of the food being eaten around him. Aomine knew that he shouldn't get anything to eat, it was a distraction and the Leader would definitely punish him for any useless interruptions. But it was hard to ignore when his stomach growled at him with the constant reminder that he hadn't had anything to eat since dinner the night before. The bluenette could only hold his stomach in pain and watch enviously as others around him ate their greasy meals.

All day. That's how long they've been here. Since the moment the sun came up to now, which is sometime around eleven Aomine notes when he glances down at his watch with annoyance. Looks like we missed them. Leader's going to be so pissed. Aomine shivered involuntary when he imagined what the scary leader had in store for them when he got the news.

Aomine yawned and stretched his arms above his head before making his way out of the court at a leisurely pace. With it being so late and with the last game of the night having ended a while ago, the building was mostly empty. There were a few pedestrians every now and again and occasionally Aomine caught the glimpse of a janitor hard at work on the floors. The building was silent for which Aomine was thankful for. He didn't know how much longer he could go with the noises bombarding his sensitive ears.

He strolled through the halls, his thoughts wondering off to the game he had watched. To say the least, it was nothing more than your average high school basketball game. There were a few moments when Aomine couldn't help but feel impressed with the way the ace of that one team handled the ball. It almost made him want to play basketball again. Aomine shook his head. He promised himself that he would never play the sport after what happened. But he couldn't help it when a strange sense of nostalgia washed over him as he made his way to the entrance of the building.

On the other hand, Aomine was a bit confused when he watched one team play with only four players. He distinctly remembered that the teams had five players each. The team missing one didn't look short of extra players but that didn't stop them from only having four on the court. As he continued to watch the game though, Aomine noticed that the ball moved in strange paths as it was passed from one player to the other. It was like a ghost was controlling it. Aomine shuddered a bit at the thought.

It kind of reminded him of that player he had run into. His jersey clearly stated that he was a part of the team but Aomine didn't remember ever seeing him on the bench with the rest of his teammates. Perhaps he had gotten there late? It was possible. He smelt the sweat that laced the teen's body when he passed him. Maybe he had ran to catch the last quarter? Not only that but what really shocked him was the fact that Aomine didn't even noticed the lithe bluenette before it was too late and the small teen had crashed into the floor. It wasn't every day that Aomine failed to notice someone. His reflexes were the best in his pack and Aomine prided himself on that fact. But the small bluenette had completely bypassed Aomine's radars. It still left him unnerved by the other's lack of presence.

Aomine sauntered down the last few steps of the stairs and glanced over at the concession stand fixing to close down by the entrance. To hell with it. He thought with aloofness. What more could the Leader punish him with now that their targets have given them the slip. Aomine picked up his pace to catch the cashier before she closed down the stand for good. He only wanted a drink so the cashier didn't mind pouring him a cup full of carbonated soda before going home.

Aomine paid and left the dim building, sucking on his drink as he left to go to their meeting place. He was probably already there, waiting for him with annoyance because he was late yet again. Aomine sighed and closed his eyes. If only this night could end. He didn't think he could control himself when that nagging voice of his starts to go off on how he left him waiting there for ten minutes more than usual. Typical Kise.

Much to his surprise though, when Aomine arrived at the small park not too far off from the building he realized that he was the first one there. That's odd. Usually Aomine is the last one for everything. He looked around at his surrounding before taking a seat at one of the benches lining the sidewalk. He sucked on his drink and looked to the sky above him. The moon was clouded over by nasty looking storm clouds and Aomine could hear the sounds of thunder rolling through the air above. He hoped it wouldn't start raining until after they were home.

A few minutes later, Aomine had finished his drink and after throwing it into the nearest trash bin the bluenette took out his phone to dial the hyperactive blonde. Dialing in the numbers from memory Aomine held the device up to his ear and waiting impatiently as the rings continued to sound. Not before too long Kise's voice answered but only to say his voicemail. Aomine clicked the end call button and narrowed his eyes through the darkness. Something's not right.

***Line Break***

Kise was honestly surprised by the small bluenette's presence when he caught up to the troublesome vampires. They were obviously targeting him, probably for their latest meal, which didn't sound all that great to the young werewolf. The Leader had told them specific orders regarding their new mission, but as he watched them torment the little teen he realized that he wouldn't be able to ignore something like this.

He had found them a while after the game had ended. He was waiting for Aomine to show up at their designated rendezvous spot when he smelt their rather distinguishing scents. It wasn't pleasant to say the least. It was a revolting combination of something sickly sweet and half dead like a rotten corpse dunked in perfume. The outside tried to make it seem all nice and sugary but it didn't hide the fact that something disgusting resided beneath its shell. Kise had to stop himself from physically gagging when he came around the pungent odor.

He followed their trail into the dark city, staying far behind as to not let them capture his scent and to remain inconspicuous. He tailed them silently, hidden in the shadows and remaining downwind. Vampires were well known for their sensing abilities, and with Kise being a werewolf it only heightened those attributes. Werewolves and vampires were extremely perceptible by each other. It only made sense though seeing as how the only thing vampires should really be afraid of in the world were werewolves.

Werewolves were practically built to kill vampires. Like hounds sent to hunt cats. The rivalry between the two had lasted for centuries and it was all but encoded in their DNA to hate one another. Vampires were indeed one of the best hunters around, but that only goes for the prey it's meant to hunt. Nothing says that the hunter couldn't also be the hunted. Isn't it only right to always have a predator around? Something that's always there waiting to snap at you from the shadows?

It must be the world's natural order. The same went for all the other animals inhabiting the world. If werewolves weren't around Kise could only shudder at the thought of what vampires would be able to do. No doubt they would have turned the world into their own personal playground by now. It made him sick just thinking of all the nasty qualities that came with being a vampire. A leech was the very definition of a vampire. The sick bastards attach themselves to people just to try and sustain their already dead lives. Vampires were nothing more than pesky parasites.

Kise slowed down around the corner of a building, he was starting to hear voices a few miles away. There were four of them he realized as he came closer still. The vampires most likely decided to stop and toy with their meal. Tch, crazed lunatics. Kise couldn't help but narrow his eyes in distaste. What was the point of scaring your food before you eat? All vampires had a sick sense of humor. The blonde copy-cat raised his eyes to the rooftop of a building. He quickly jumped from one side of the wall to the opposite one so he could propel himself to the top. It would be safer this way and he could possibly get closer without being noticed.

He traveled as soundlessly as he could, treading gradually from rooftop to rooftop. He jumped over a ledge, landing softly on his feet on the next building over. He could hear them easily now. They were speaking with arrogant voices and they laughed over something one of them said. Kise slid down the side of the ledge and shuffled his way across the small raised wall that lined the edge of the roof, keeping his body low as to not be seen. He came to a stop; the vampires were right beneath him on the street. Kise slowly raised his head over the ledge, peeking below to the four.

But he was taken back when he only saw three. Was I wrong? Kise asked himself. He could have sworn he heard four voices. He studies them with his eyes narrowed. One of them was talking to something, no wait…someone? But there was no one there. Kise almost shivered when his eyes met the face of the one speaking, seeing those eyes always creeped him out. It wasn't natural for something to look so evil. His eyes trailed over to the other two. They were standing side by side with their arms placed to their sides like they were holding something. And that was when Kise noticed the defeated looking pale boy placed between the two vamps.

Kise almost yelped. He quickly drew back from the edge and placed his hands on his mouth to muffle any sounds. Was he there from the start? Kise didn't even see him! This whole time he had been watching them and somehow that little blue haired boy had gone completely unnoticed by the young wolf. Creepy. Kise thought with a shiver. How was a mere human able to pull off something so uncanny? It was a mystery as to how something could avoid a werewolf's sense of smell. But now that Kise looked back over and gave the air a tentative sniff he could barely catch the aroma of an ocean breeze.

It must be the kid's scent. Kise told himself. Maybe he had disregarded it because of the vampires overpowering stench. Kise studied the teen's appearance. The bluenette looked worse for wear with his bruised and cut face, long gash on his head and overall way his body shook with strain to keep him upright. Kise caught the scent of a metallic substance. Blood. That's not good. It wasn't safe to have vampires anywhere near fresh blood. They became mindless creatures with only one instinctual thought, to feed.

The blonde teen stayed still as he watched the next scene take place. The two lackeys forcefully shoved the bluenette to his knees before the leader and backed away from the quivering high school student. The teen made a frightened sound and used his limbs to scoot himself as far away from the vampire advancing on him. Kise growled under his breath, seeing that smug grin on the leech's face made him want to tear his head off. He breathed silently through his nose, now wasn't the time to get angry.

The lithe teen turned to his hands and knees, struggling to get away from the vampires. Kise clenched his teeth when the bluenette turned his way. He got only a glimpse, but it made his blood boil when he saw how terrified the student was. His eyes were wide but obviously unfocused as he turned his body to retreat in the opposite direction. The cut on his head must be taking its toll as the bluenette pulled himself across the street, leaving a trail of blood in his stead. The red liquid had seeped through certain spots in his uniform from where he most likely got cut. And blood poured from the wound on his head, soaking the blue strands to create a gruesome shade of contorted purple.

Finally the leader had enough of playing games and pounced on the back of the small teen, shoving his body harshly in to the ground and making his face scrape against the cold concrete. Kise noticed the defeated look in the boy's eyes before he closed them and let out a breath of air as if realizing there was no use. He slackened his body beneath the vampire's and the leech smiled cruelly giving a triumphant snarl before placing his elongated fangs at the teen's neck.

Kise reacted without thinking. He knew that this was going against the Leader's orders of not engaging the enemy but he felt like he had no choice. He couldn't just sit back and do nothing as he watched the vampires drain the life out of an innocent person! Quickly Kise pulled a circular object from his pocket inside his jacket and, making sure to pull the pin from the latch, threw it over the ledge. It gave one bounce on the ground before it exploded into a thick red mist. There was one thing that vampires truly hated more than sunlight, one of their few weaknesses, and something that was almost entirely impossible to get. That something was dead man's blood.

The red liquid was something like a poison to the vampires. It ate at their skin and seeped into their bloodstream creating pain and locking up their primary functions. It was a gruesome way to hold them off but it worked like a charm. It didn't kill them but it does result in a lot of damage to their organs. It makes the blood inside them burn and evaporate leaving them weak and thirsty. The point of it was to leave the vampire so weak and desperate for blood that it would eventually die on its own before coming close to its next meal. A vampire needed a constant supply of blood through its veins otherwise it wouldn't function properly. If a vampire were to deprive itself of blood then it would slowly weaken in agony, soon after it would eventually stop working all together. Its body would forcefully shut itself down, lying as a cold statue, waiting for its next taste of blood.

It creeped Kise out that something could live for so long. Nothing should be able to have a life of immortality; all things have to come to an end eventually.

Kise launched himself over the side of the building and landed a few meters away from the cloud of red smoke. He stood there waiting for any signs of movement. If they were to attack him then he would be ready. The blonde stood there, his muscles tense as his eyes searched through the dark. Slowly, a shadowed form drags itself out of the mist. It staggered to its feet and made noises full of pain. Kise placed his right foot behind him, his body automatically shifting into a battle stance out of muscle memory. He waited for him to make the first move.

The person made a hiss of pain then looked up to face in Kise's direction. It wasn't long before his bright blue eyes met the blonde's own. Kise let his guard drop a little as he took in the anguished expression the boy held and marveled at how someone could hold so much emotion in their eyes. A sudden cough seemed to startle the boy out of his trance and he hurriedly made a step forward towards Kise. But it seemed to be too much for his body to handle when his legs suddenly gave out beneath him and he fell to the cold ground.

Kise impulsively ran out to catch him before his body could touch the ground. He held him close to his chest and he rose with the bluenette tucked safely in his arms. The blue orbs took a second to stare at him before rolling up into the back of his head and falling limply in his arms.

Kise studied the way the blue strands of hair were clumped together in a mess of blood and sweat and stuck to the teen's face. His cheeks were cut and bleeding slightly and bruises laced his jaw. His breathing came out in shallow gasps and his form physically sagged as if his body had given up all together. Kise took one last look at the suffering vampires before turning tail and fleeing to somewhere safe.

Even though it was dead man's blood, it was only a little dose and it wasn't injected directly into the vampire's system. So it only affected them from the outside and it wouldn't be much longer before they started to regain their senses. He would give it sixty-no forty five seconds before they would be hot on his trial. Kise held the bluenette tighter and picked up his pace; there was no time to waste. The copy-cat raced down the streets making wild turns at a twenty five mile sprint. His legs blurred, looking as if they were gliding across the pavement. His top speed in this form was nowhere near fast enough to compare with his wolf form or the vampire's. But he couldn't take risks right now and his wolf form would only heighten his smell.

He spun once more on his heel, almost coming to a complete stop before changing direction in a 90 degree turn down another street. His eyes searched for a place to hide along the partially darkened street. Seeing a narrow alleyway, Kise started for the gap and slid easily between the two buildings. He traveled briskly through the passageway only to come to a halt in front of a tall wall. His eyes skimmed over to the top. It was too high for him to jump, especially with extra weight. He turned to head back but stopped short when he heard incoming footsteps. Dammit! They found me already?! Kise clutched at the unconscious boy in his arms and slowly backed up until his back hit the wall.

He would have to wait right here and hope that the reek of the garbage lining the walls would be able to mask his scent. He held his breath and anxiously watched for any movements. If anything, he could possibly place the bluenette on the ground and transform if need be, but he knew it wouldn't be safe and his huge form could easily crush the small teen if he accidently fell on him. He glanced back up to the top of the wall. Maybe he could place him on his back and jump from wall to wall to reach the top? But the student was unconscious and wouldn't be able to hold on; Kise needed all his limbs when doing something like that.

The sound of approaching footsteps made his decisions come to a halt. As he saw their forms stand in front of the small gap he could only wait, hidden in the shadows.

"Their trail ends here." He heard one of them say. They made a few scuffling noises before going silent.

"Damn it! He must have left a false trail! Sneaky bastard!" a small ravenette stomped his foot in anger before looking to the taller of the three. "What should we do?"

The tall purple eyed male narrowed his eyes at something hidden from view. "Let's head back. Maybe we can start off from that intersection." The two nodded at him before taking off in the direction from which they came.

Kise closed his eyes, concentrating on the sounds of their retreating footsteps. It was hard to do though when his heartbeat drowned out almost all the other sounds around him. He let out a shaky breath, relieved that they hadn't been found. He stepped off the wall and cautiously made his way to the opening. However, he didn't make it two steps before an alarming ring sounded from his back pocket. Oh no! Kise's eyes widened in panic as he hurriedly tried to reach his phone. The added weight of the bluenette made it a struggle though, and it took him a few seconds of moving him over his shoulder before he could turn off the noise.

The sound had bounced across the empty streets almost tauntingly and Kise glared down at the caller I.D shown on his screen. He was about to answer it when a chuckle escaped from one of the vile leeches atop the roof from above.

"Found you." Was all they said before jumping down to face him. Kise stared unfazed into the black eyes boring into him, blocking the only path of escape. Kise felt a shift of air as the other two vampires surrounded him from behind. His eyes rapidly moved around him, trying to figure out a way to flee. The area was much too small for a fight much less for him to even shapeshift. Kise narrowed his eyes and pressed a button on his phone before returning it to his pocket.

"Alright, good for you. Do you want a cookie as a reward?" Kise snapped with venom lacing his voice. Oh, how he despised these creatures.

"Looks like the mutt can bark." Kise glanced to see the bigger one smiling at him. "But it's the bite that I'm more interested in." he continued. Kise snorted, like he hasn't heard that one before. These vamps were running out of dog jokes. Most of them nowadays were pathetically sad.

"Geez, I bet it took you a whole century trying to figure out that one." He retorted irritated. Aomine should have realized he's gone now, the only thing he could do was stall and hope that the blue eyed teen would make it in time.

The leader snarled at him with a mouth full of fangs. "You are in no position to be making snide comments mongrel." He stepped forward in warning. "If it was up to me I would have already torn out your throat and watched you bleed by now." He sighed as he closed his eyed. "But unfortunately I cannot, seeing as you have what we want in your arms and if that one were to die the Master would have our heads. Now if you would be so kind as to hand over the boy, we'll be on our way." The taller tried to reason with him.

Kise lowered his gaze to the still bluenette in his arms. What's so special about him that the vampires would want? Other than his lack of presence the boy seemed normal enough. His skin was a bit on the pale side but that could be because of his loss of blood. His thick lashes brushed his cheeks, covered in the thick red liquid that had run down from a scratch on his forehead. They had really beaten him. Kise raised his eyes back to glare into the other's.

"No." was all he said. Idiot! Kise scolds himself. Now they will surely kill him instead of letting him go. Yeah, like there was a chance of that happening.

"Very well then." The purple eyed leader leaned back and crossed his arms, taking a second to consider the next course of action.

Kise felt a small shift from the sleeping boy in his arms. He must be pretty valuable. Kise mused with confusion lacing his thoughts. Why else would the vampires take such precaution in their actions? Maybe they thought that Kise would hurt the bluenette just to get out of the situation, or worse, kill him. Kise tensed his muscles in wait. Sorry, guys. I'm not like you. And with that the blonde teen sprang from his position to the wall beside them and pushed off with all his might, holding the stirring teen tighter. He succeeded in what he wanted to do but didn't get very far after that.

He had lunched himself out onto the street, ridding himself of that small enclosure but the vampires were quick to act like always and were now surrounding him in the middle of the street.

"What was that supposed to be? You know as well as I that you aren't getting out of this one mutt." The buff one stated, his face showed something along the lines of 'are you stupid?' He gave a look around the surroundings. "Besides, aren't you guys supposed to run around in packs or something? Where's your pack mate huh? Did he leave you to fend for yourself?"

Kise knew it was supposed to make him angry. They were probably trying to get a ruse out of him so that he would transform. But Kise saw a shift of movement behind their leader and he couldn't help a smirk from forming on his face. "Actually," he started.

Too fast for the average human to comprehend, a blur rushed from the shadows and before any of them could move a muscle, it flung itself at the leader. There was a glint in the air as a blade was brought down on his back and the leader could only stand there, not realizing what happened. But soon after a spurt of blood gushed from the new wound and he fell to his knees, a shocked expression clearly etched into his face. A gurgling sound emitted from his lips as he fell face down onto the ground. Blood heavily poured from the deep gash located near an artery.

Standing behind him with a satisfied smirk was none other than Aomine Daiki. His eyes blazed with adrenaline and his stance was cocky as he flipped the blade around in his hand before placing it on his shoulder. "Did I miss anything?" he asked and strolled over to Kise with an infectious grin. The other vampires looked warily at the bluenette and backed away.

Kise, with a grin of his own, rolled his eyes and huffed a puff of air. "When do you ever get here on time?" he replied and would have slapped him but he was reminded of the boy in his arms. His sudden motion had begun to arouse the teen and Kise could see a few contorted expressions here and there and his eyes rolled around under his eyelids. He would wake soon.

"Oi, who's the kid?" Aomine questioned and studied the stirring bluenette. He seemed familiar to him for some reason. He snapped his fingers when he realized who it was. "Hey I know him!" the bluenette exclaimed as he pointed to the lithe phantom player. "I saw him at the basketb-"

"Enough of this." a gasp interrupted Aomine from the ground.

Aomine let his gaze drift lazily over to the struggling vampire trying to get to his feet and snorted in amusement. "What? Are you upset that I ruined your finesse leech?" Aomine spat out harshly. Why couldn't those damn leeches stay down?!

"I'm tired of these games. We finish this now." The ravenette stated with a feral growl. "Shion! Nataru!" the others nodded their head and they each rushed forward, no longer needing to hold back.

Aomine didn't even get to make a noise of surprise before they were already on top of them. He reared his blade back and let it come down in a sweeping motion at the snarling form of Ryuga. But he wasn't fast enough in this form and the vampire easily evaded the attack and spun around to face him from behind. Shit! Aomine clenched his teeth trying to turn his body fast enough to block the oncoming attack but he was too slow. He only got to spin around a few inches before Ryuga's hand pierced through his skin inches away from his heart.

Aomine bit back a yelp and growled as he continued with his momentum and spun around with his blade. Ryuga, not expecting the werewolf to be so bold, was surprised when the mongrel didn't stop and rammed his weapon straight through his chest. He stood there, surprised that the werewolf had gotten the drop on him again. He coughed up blood but smiled at the mutt with red fangs.

"You missed."

Kise stumbled back when the two vampires had rushed him, their hisses filling his sensitive ears. He tripped over his own foot resulting in him and the teen in his arms to go sprawling over the ground. He held the bluenette close to him, careful as to not have his head hit the ground again and landed on his back. The air was knocked out of his lungs but he quickly shook it off and stood up, leaving the partially awake teen on the street.

"Hey, this isn't fair." Kise started as he pulled a small switchblade from out of his pocket and shifted into a defensive stance. He watched as the two vampires circled him, their feral expressions intimidating as they waited for the right moment to strike. He stifled a chuckle at them but couldn't help the smile from forming on his face.

"What are you laughing at?" Nataru asked annoyed by the idiocy the blonde displayed.

"Sorry, sorry." Kise chortled. "I just hope your guys' faces don't freeze that way."

Nataru, offended by his words, lost his control and pushed forward to wipe the stupid smirk off his face. Kise smiled to himself. Too easy. He glanced down at the bluenette one more time before launching himself to meet the vampire halfway. He ducked underneath the first blow and drove his knife into the chest of the small vampire before turning to face the approaching Shion.

***Line Break***

Kuroko stifled a groan, unaware of his surroundings. His body throbbed everywhere and even without opening his eyes he knew that he had a rather large headache. He sucked in a breath and wheezed in distress when he found that even breathing hurt to do. He twitched his fingers a bit, the only thing that appeared to be easily accomplished without too much pain. He brushed his hand along the surface he was on, trying to determine what he was laying on that was so cold to the touch. The street? Had the lunatics decided they had enough of playing with him and left him there? How decent of them.

Kuroko lifted his hands to shove himself sluggishly onto his side and used his elbows to push his body into a semi-upright position. He still hadn't opened up his eyes, in fear of whatever he may see on the other side of his eyelids. Had he passed out? He tried to remember the last thing that had happened. He thought he had seen a golden light but he must have been imagining it. If he had passed out then for how long? He knew that he had lost a dangerous amount of blood, so it wasn't any surprise to him that he fell unconscious.

He brought his hand to rub at the back of his neck gingerly only to pull it back with a grimace on his face. There was still blood on his skin. It was dry now though and he looked forward for a shower as soon as possible. Kuroko was about to lay back down but an anguished scream cut into his senses without mercy. It rung in his ears and it took him a moment to comprehend the fact that it had sounded from only a few meters away. The bluenette, having enough of being blind, braced himself and opened his eyes.

The light burned his sensitive eyes and seemed to make his pounding headache ten times worse. It only took a few seconds however, before Kuroko could see clearly. He lay there, unable to move as a battle was fought not even a few feet away from him. Well…he thought it was a battle, he wasn't too sure honestly. The way they moved was too fast for him to see, of course that could be because he had just gone through some traumatic injuries but he was sure that wasn't it.

He recognized the three vampires from earlier but the other two were a mystery to him. They fought the vampires without any fear in their expressions and almost evenly matched them blow for blow. Are they vampires too? He wondered. But as the battle continued he noticed that they were actually much slower than the vampires but their skills in battle easily made up for the things they lacked. Kuroko would be lying if he said he wasn't impressed. The two seemed to glide between the vampires, easily dodging their blows like a coordinated dance.

The blonde haired one spun away from a jab at his stomach and Kuroko got the chance to look into his eyes. His eyes widened. It was the one from before! The one who saved him from the deadly trio. Kuroko felt a little chagrinned. Not only did he do that but now he's fighting for his life, probably to save Kuroko's own life…again. He sighed to himself but winced at the strained action. It's not like he wasn't thankful or anything, but he didn't like the feeling of owing someone, especially since he owes him his life, two times over.

Kise grinned a little when he saw the bluenette awake from across the street. It was about time! He whirled around Shion's attempt to grab him and elbowed him in the jaw forcing the other's head back. Kise took this chance to take the other down and place his foot behind him, using all his force to drive the small blade into his chest cavity, piercing his heart. Shion made a strangled cough as blood rushed out of his mouth and dribbled down his chin. Kise yanked the knife out as the body fell and hurriedly made his way to the teen, making sure to wipe the blood away from his knife before tucking it back into his pants.

He carefully came closer and squatted down to the other's height so as to seem friendlier. Ah, who am I kidding? I just killed two people without a second thought. He admitted sheepishly. He probably thinks I'm some kind of monster. Kise frowned. Well he wasn't too far off from that one.

"Um…thank you?"

Kise was jerked from his thoughts and he quickly retained his grin again and focused his attention to the wobbly teen who was trying to sit up. He gently placed his hand on his arm, helping the lithe teen till he was sitting with his legs spread out in front of him.

"No problem. It's our job to save people from parasites like them." Kise jerked his head in the direction of the vampires. The blonde copy-cat rubbed his hands together nervously when all the bluenette did was give him a blank stare. How was he supposed to comfort somebody who almost had their head ripped off? Kise fought and killed vampires on a regular bases but compassion wasn't something he was too familiar with. "Uh, my name's Kise." He introduced himself upon finding nothing else to say. "Kise Ryouta."

Kuroko addressed the hand that was held out before him questionably before taking it in his own. "Kuroko Tetsuya." He replied curtly. "Nice to meet you Kise."

"I'm Aomine Daiki." A voice declared up from behind them. Kuroko shifted his eyes to the dark skinned teenager standing behind Kise. His arms were crossed and he had a small smirk etched into his face. He would have seemed normal at first but when Kuroko glanced down he noticed the gaping wound in his side. It looked extremely painful as it gushed blood and dripped into a puddle forming at his feet. How is he still standing? He asked himself flabbergasted. He studied his facial expressions for a moment until he remembered why he looked so familiar to him.

"I remember you." Kuroko spoke up, speaking more to himself than anything. "You bumped into me and made me fall at the basketball game earlier." He clarified when Kise gave him a confused look. "You were quite rude." Kise narrowed his eyes at the other and gave Aomine an expression that all but yelled to apologize to him.

"Ha ha, look I'm sorry about that. No hard feelings okay?" Aomine rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. His grin disappeared though when he glanced around them and to the corpses littering the ground. "Look, are we going to stand around here all damn day or are we going to get moving?" Aomine piqued as he turned around to begin pulling the bodies into a pile. "I'm pretty sure that the police will be here after hearing all that ruckus so we better be gone by then."

Kise nodded his head in agreement and turned to face Kuroko. "Can I pick you up?" he asked hesitantly. Kuroko gave him a look before asking why. "Well you obviously can't walk right now so this is the only other way. Unless you want us to leave you here for the police to find you?" he asked with a smile. That seemed to do the trick and Kuroko nodded his head suddenly feeling too tired to speak.

Kise hefted the small phantom player onto his back and made sure his arms and legs were secured around him before turning around to face Aomine. The bluenette was squatting near the corpses and Kuroko squinted his eyes at him trying to figure just what the dark skinned teen was doing. A few seconds later there was a burst of light and the pile erupted into bright flames, lighting the dark street around it. Aomine looked a bit melancholic as his frame was illuminated by the flickering flames. But the second he turned to look at them his face returned to its usual cocky smirk. Kuroko dismissed the expression as an illusion of the light.

"So where to?" Aomine spoke up as he strolled to their side. He placed his hands in his pocket and stood beside the two waiting for an answer. It took Kuroko a minute to realize he was talking to him.

"What do you mean 'where to?'" Kuroko questioned and he felt Kise chuckle underneath him.

"He means where your house is. I have no doubt that you want to return home so we'll take you there." Kise explained to him. From the way his shoulders shook Kuroko could tell the other was laughing at him. Feeling a frown mar his expression at being laughed at Kuroko pointed to the right.

"Down that way." Was all he said.

"Well then 'that way' we'll go." And with that the three headed down the road to Kuroko's house.


	3. The Quiet Before the Storm

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey my wonderful readers! I am so happy at all the positive review so far! Here is the next chapter for you. If you find any grammar errors please tell me and I will fix them immediately. Enjoy!

Kuroko was beginning to feel nausea overtake his stomach. He didn't mind it at first, the sudden queasy feeling was nothing compared to what his head was going through. It was small at first, like a tiny nudge in his stomach but as they continued to walk Kuroko was finding it to be harder and harder to ignore as the sensation grew. They had only made it a few streets from the scene and the bluenette couldn't stop the nauseous gag escape his lips from the churning his stomach was creating.

It was no surprise to him when the queasiness started. He figured it was the inevitable from all the stress his body and mind went through. On that note, Kuroko was a bit baffled on how he wasn't breaking down right now. He thought that any other person would have screamed their lungs out by now. Maybe it was the constant throbbing of pain that kept his mind away from the previous events. He was sure that if he were to think about this later he would freak out. But now wasn't the time.

Not only that, but he was also willingly going along with strangers he didn't even know; people who had just showed they weren't even human and had killed three people without blinking. Nothing made sense to him anymore, he realized. He had just seen something that only existed in fairytales and was caught right in the middle. He sighed to himself; he might as well go along with it.

Kuroko was on high alert, well…as high alert as someone who looked to be drugged. His body was too worn to do much on its own. It was an accomplishment in itself for him to be able to hold onto Kise's back. He had lied his head down on the blonde's shoulder, facing in the direction that Aomine was in. With having nothing else to look at, Kuroko watched the dark bluenette as they headed to the phantom player's house.

It was a mystery to him. Kuroko could only gape astonished as to how the blue eyed male could walk without a care in the world when there was an obvious gaping wound in his side. He was tempted to ask him about it. It worried him when the wound didn't look to stop bleeding any time soon. It spurted the red liquid in a never ending river down his chest and his clothes were thoroughly soaked on his right side.

He watched as the stream slowly started to lessen until it stop the flowing of blood altogether. Then, to his bewilderment, the opening in his chest gradually began to close. Kuroko never took his eyes off the gap as it slowly mended itself back together. The tendons and muscles were first. They stretched to meet each other in the center of the hole before mending themselves together like they were never separated in the first place. Then came the skin. It slid over the expanse of the exposed muscles and stitched itself back, leaving behind a faint scar. But even that faded behind and perfectly smooth skin remained, as if it were never touched.

Aomine caught him staring and smirked at the flabbergasted expression the short high school student held. "I guess I should have expected that reaction out of you." Aomine stated as he turned his eyes back to the road ahead of them. "I mean, you did just get introduced to all this supernatural stuff. I bet you have no idea what we are, do you?" Aomine asked with a knowing grin.

Was Kuroko's face that easy for the dark bluenette to read? The phantom player was well known for being stoic and pokerfaced through anything that was thrown at him. But it was like this guy could read him like an open book without even trying. Kuroko shifted uncomfortably on Kise's back.

"No I don't." was all he said, not wanting to give anything else away. They evidently weren't vampires. When he watched them fight the other ones their speed was way too slow in comparison and their strength lacked in certain areas. Apparently that didn't stop them from charging head on into the fight. The vampires might have been superior in physical qualities but the duo was clearly more experienced in their own combat skills.

However, their healing abilities were uncanny and unlike any other. They had amazing reflexes from what Kuroko could tell. But other than that, nothing came to mind when he tried to match a supernatural creature with them. Perhaps they hadn't shown everything they could do; some special ability that all supernatural beings seemed to have.

"How about we give you a hint?" Kise's voice traveled from below Kuroko and vibrated through his skull. He winced a bit at the unpleasant throb sent through his head. "I would like to see you guess on your own." He continued, as if asking people to guess their supernatural race was an everyday occurrence.

Kuroko was a little annoyed by their suggestion. He hated playing guessing games. Why stall the inevitable and make the person guess when you already have the mindset to tell them? It was little ploys like these that got on the bluentte's nerves, but nonetheless he sighed and waited expectantly for their first clue.

"This one should be pretty obvious." Aomine continued with the game and looked up thoughtfully to the heavy clouds in the sky. "We are the number one rival to the bloodsucking parasites." He said shortly. The hint was indeed blunt and to the point. If anyone knew about the infamous vampires then they most likely have heard about the wolves that always seemed to be snapping at their heels.

Kuroko studied the two in front of him. They didn't seem like they would be werewolves. Of course those vampires didn't seem to be parasitical leeches at first glance either. They appeared almost too normal. It was no wonder that the supernatural was able to blend in so easily with humanity. But then again, as Kuroko considered the way they walked he could see that the werewolves moved with much more grace than the average human. And when he saw Aomine smile again, he caught the glimpse of larger than average incisors. He thought back to when he saw their hands and noted that even their fingernails were slightly longer and pointed at their ends.

Kuroko was yanked from his thoughts when he heard Aomine snap his fingers in front of his face, bringing him back to reality.

"Hey, you still there?" he asked a bit teasingly though his face held a look of worry.

"Don't be so mean Aominecchi!" Kise exclaimed and Kuroko felt the other shift in aggravation. "He did just go through a traumatizing experience after all." The blonde tried to reason for Kuroko's lack of response. Kuroko knew he was trying to help him but couldn't help but feel a little insulted by his words. He already figured out what they were, he was just trying to see how something could look so normal.

Kuroko pulled his lips into a frown and raised his hand slightly to push Aomine's hand away from his face. "You're werewolves." He stated without hesitance.

Aomine grinned. "That's the one."

Kuroko wanted to ask were their tails and ears were then, but refrained from the offending question. He didn't want to make them angry. He knew that he couldn't walk that well right now and these werewolves were the only way home. He sighed to himself. He should probably be nicer to them. They did save his life after all. Not only that but they also offered to take him home without him even asking. And all Kuroko could do was throw jabs at them in his head. He turned his gaze back to the road and when he saw the familiar café at the end of the street he pointed to the right at the end.

"My house is just down that road on the left." he told them and secured his arm back around Kise's neck.

Kise took in his surroundings and marveled at all the expensive looking buildings around. It may have been in the city but even he knew how to recognize high class apartments. Was the little bluenette rich or something? He mentally shrugged his shoulders and followed in the direction that the phantom player pointed in, a few buildings over and Kuroko lead them to the entrance of a tall apartment building. The apartment was built out of light grey stone with intricate designs engraved in them and large windows framing the floors from top to bottom and had huge trees decorating its sides. There were two potted plants placed next to the double door at its entrance.

"You never told me you were loaded!" Aomine exclaimed as he took in the extravagant building in front of them. He had to lean his head all the way back to try and see the top and even then he could barely catch a glimpse of the roof.

Kuroko shifted uncomfortably in Kise's hold. "You never asked." He replied curtly.

"Well let's go in." Kise urged impatiently at Aomine who was blocking the door.

Aomine gave a sheepish twitch of his lips before rushing to the door and opening it for the two to walk in. The inside was just as majestic as the outside. The floors were covered in marble and the high ceilings were adorned with low hanging chandeliers. The walls were painted a cream color and had paintings of landscapes placed on them. The place practically screamed expensive.

"Kuroko-san!" a gasp was heard from behind them, stopping the two short. Kise and Aomine gave wary looks at each other before turning around to face the voice. It was the apartment's receptionist. He was dressed in a primped black suit and had his hair slicked back in a messy yet formal style. His hands were covered by white gloves and he squeezed his hands nervously when the two werewolves narrowed their intimidating gazes at him. "Uh-um…are you feeling okay?" he asked quietly, concerned for the little bluenette. "Do you need me to call an ambulance?"

Aomine was about to tell the other off but a hand on his arm by Kuroko made him pause. Kuroko lifted his head slightly off of Kise's shoulder to look in the receptionist's eyes.

"I'm okay Daisuke-san." Kuroko mumbled with tired eyes. "I'm just a bit worn and could use a good night's rest." He explained to the fretting man. "I'll see you tomorrow." He told him with no room for argument.

Daisuke didn't look like he wanted to let them go but nodded his head anyways and showed them to the elevator. He pressed the top button and stood in front of the doors. "Your parents called me today." He began, sorrow lacing his voice. "They asked me to tell you that their trip will be another few weeks before they can make it home." And with that the door closed and Daisuke vanished from sight.

Kise shifted his stance and turned his head to give Aomine a questioning look. Aomine shrugged his shoulders and they waited for the bell to signal the end of the trip. Aomine stared as the numbers to the floors didn't stop. They seemed to go on and on, never ending. Damn! Does he live on the top floor or something? Aomine wondered to himself. He chuckled a bit at the thought. There was no way that the little kid was not only rich but also lived in the penthouse of the building.

But Aomine found himself gaping in disbelief when the numbers finally landed on floor 35, the last floor of the apartments. The elevator gave a ding and opened its doors to the long hallway waiting before them. Kise and Aomine gave a look before trudging to the door that was at the end of the white hall. Kise felt Kuroko dig in his pockets before handing Aomine the keys to the door. Aomine pushed the keys into the lock and turned the metal until there was an audible click from the latch. He pulled the keys out and pushed the door open.

Kise wanted to say that the room was just as beautiful as the ground floor downstairs but he would be lying through his teeth. Yes, the place was still glorious in its own way, if you can call a room that seemed to have no characterization elegant. The main room's colors mostly consisted of grey, white and blue. Everything was mechanically placed like it was a model home or something. The only signs that someone lived there were the textbooks and scattered pieces of paper that littered the coffee table in the living room, the only imperfection in the area.

Everything was too bland. Like a harsh mixture of black and white. Kise didn't like it. How could someone live in someplace so empty? He mused to himself as he made his way to the black couch and placed the tired bluenette on it. Kuroko sighed in content as he was placed on his familiar sofa, glad to finally be home.

"Do you need anything before we go?" Kise asked him concerned for Kuroko's wellbeing. Kuroko leaned his head back on the couch and let out a breath of air.

"Could you get me a wet washcloth?" he asked quietly and closed his eyes. "I don't have enough energy to take a shower."

Kise nodded his head and looked around for the kitchen. He went down a hallway, leaving Aomine, who was looking out the windows that took up the whole wall, and Kuroko. The flat was open and had few doors that led to the main rooms, making everything connected together. So it wasn't hard for the blonde to locate the kitchen. He walked around the stainless steel counters and appliances, checking the drawers for any rags he could use. When he found a drawer filled with them he took out a green one and rinsed it under warm water, soaking the cloth. He wrung it out till it was left partially wet and headed back to the living room.

"Here you go." Kise said as he kneeled down next to Kuroko and held out the wet rag. Kuroko took it with an almost inaudible thanks and started to unbutton his coat. His hands were shaky as he took off the clothing. He grunted with the effort and Aomine and Kise frowned as they listened to the strain Kuroko went through just to remove a few articles of clothing. Kise leaned on his knees, folded his hands together and placed his head on them while Aomine clenched his hands into fists and stared down at the city below. It made them angry that vampires could do something so monstrous.

When he was left with his button up shirt after peeling off his two jackets Kuroko tossed his clothes down on the ground halfheartedly and picked up the rag beside him. He brought it to his face and proceeded to wipe off all the dirt, grime, and blood that was smeared on it. It was a long and tiring process for the boy stricken by fatigue. He gently rubbed the warm cloth over his cheeks; careful to any scratches as to not make them sting. His blue eyes searched for his clock that was placed over on the wall and read that it was 1:43 A.M. Had all that happened in such a short amount of time? The last time he looked at a clock was at the basketball court, at that time it had been a little past eleven.

He rubbed his other hand across his face, searching for any spots that he might have missed before reaching delicately around his neck to clean off the thick blood that was left from his head wound. The awkward movement sent a sharp throb down his shoulder blade and Kuroko let a gasp of pain escape his lips as he pulled his arm back down. He must be severely bruised along his back and shoulders.

Kise reached over from across the couch and grabbed the bloody cloth from Kuroko's hands. "Here, let me do it." He offered with a shy expression. He didn't want the other to get offended by his suggestion so Kise waited patiently for Kuroko's answer. To his surprise the teen nodded his head and leaned down so Kise could have better access to his neck. He was about to clean the blood but a small ring from his pocket alerted him that someone was calling him.

His eyes glanced over to Aomine and the dark bluenette shook his head in understanding as he came around the couch to take Kise's spot. The blonde copycat handed him the washrag as he stood up and headed over to the hallway for privacy. There was only one person who would be calling him at this time. Kise reached into his pocket and pulled out the cellphone to read the caller I.D.

Akashi Seijūrō.

Kise drew in a breath as he clicked on the answer call button. "Hello?" Was all he said.

"Ryouta, it has come to my attention that both you Aomine have past protocol and have not called in to update your status. Please tell me why that is." A cold voice filled Kise's ear and the blonde had to force himself from gulping at the harsh tone. The Alpha was angry and he's going to pay hell for it.

"Ah-you see…um," Kise stumbled over his words as he tried to find the best way to present his situation to their alpha.

"Tell me."

Kise closed his eyes and leaned heavily on the wall behind him. "We found the vampires that you wanted. I tracked them to see where their colony is but was met with something unexpected. The vampires had chased down a teenager and were going to injure him. I confronted them and-"

"You did what?" blasted through the speaker of his phone and Kise almost whimpered at the tone in his alpha's voice. "Had I not given you specific orders to track them and remain hidden so that we could find out where their colony is?"

"Yes but I-"

"No excuses Ryouta. You have failed at this mission. We will discuss your and Aomine's punishments when you have returned home." Kise could tell that Akashi was about to hang up and he jerked from the wall, waving his hand out in front of him even though the alpha couldn't see it.

"Wait! We saved the boy!" he exclaimed without thinking.

"Explain." Was all that he heard in reply.

Kise pinched the bridge of his nose and let out a puff of air. "His name is Kuroko Tetsuya. He is a victim of a vampire attack and I saved him before they could kidnap him, but was soon confronted by them afterwards. They attacked us. Aomine and I had no choice but to protect ourselves. The three targets were killed and the boy was left beaten and in critical condition. We brought him to his house which is where we reside now."

Kise was met with silence from the other line. The copycat bit his lip and fidgeted in his spot. The only reason he was alive right now was probably because they were separated from the phone. If they were in the same room, Kise had no doubt that the red haired male would have ripped his head off.

"Bring this Kuroko Tetsuya with you." Was Akashi's sharp reply. Kise widened his eyes. Had he heard that right?

"What?" he asked hesitantly thinking he had heard wrong. It was unlike his alpha to request to see someone so quickly.

"Bring Kuroko Tetsuya with you. I would like to have a few words regarding his situation. I will be expecting you within the next hour."

"But we can't do that!" Kise exclaimed in protest. Didn't Akashi hear when he had said that the small bluenette was in critical condition? The poor teen wasn't even able to move by himself let alone walk to their house. What Kuroko needed right now was a good night's rest and some ice for his bruises. He had gone through enough traumatic stress for one night.

"Why not?"

Kise flinched and placed his gaze on the ground at the commanding tone his alpha's voice contained. Even if he wasn't there, Kise couldn't ignore the instinctual habits of avoiding the alpha's stare. He shuffled his feet on the ground nervously.

"Kuroko is… unable to perform any strenuous activity right now. I think it would be best if he were to rest before we return." Responded Kise tentatively, rubbing the back of his head in apprehension. A few seconds of silenced passed before Kise heard his alpha's voice float through the speaker.

"Very well."

Kise practically fell in a puddle of relief at his understanding words.

"But I expect you in the morning tomorrow with a detailed report on tonight's events. Am I understood?"

Kise straightened his back and formed a serious expression on his face. "Yes Akashi-sama." After he spoke the phone beeped as the call ended. Kise stood there quivering a bit as a relieved smile shakily made its way on his face. He thought he was going to die during that conversation. But the alpha didn't even make one death threat to him. Kise slid down the wall with a heaving sigh. Well, it's not good to get your hopes up high. He thought to himself with a gulp. Because there's always those extra training regiments he makes us do.

Aomine was a bit hesitant when he had sat down next to the fragile looking bluenette. Aomine regarded Kuroko with a concerned expression as the bluenette looked ready to drop dead with his drooping eyes and exhausted expression. The high school student was leaning down, not having the strength to keep his head upright and the position allowed Aomine to see all the blood patches that were scattered on the white flannel the pale teen wore. The blood had long since dried and was left as a nasty shade of brown on his clothing. The dark skinned teenager glanced down at his own attire which was obscured in blood. He made a dismayed sound with a click of his tongue. This was my favorite jacket too.

Aomine disregarded the clothing and concentrated on the task at hand. Kuroko's entire neck was covered in blood and the dried liquid had run down his spine creating a streak of red down the middle of his shirt. It wrapped around his shoulders and trailed down his collarbone. Tch, he must have bled at least two pints. Aomine thought to himself as he brought the rag up to wipe at the sticky substance. It was somewhat difficult to do. The dark bluenette could only clean so much before he would have to start roughly scrubbing to get the substance off.

So Aomine did what he could and carefully wiped away the blood. When he got to the base of his neck Aomine's eyes flickered up to the gash partially hidden in the mess of tangled hair. It wasn't too deep but it was long as it ran from the base of his hair line to the middle of his skull. Aomine could tell that the phantom player would need to get stiches. Unfortunately they didn't have the medic with them. Aomine narrowed his eyes at the irony. Like I said before, they would have been much better suited for this task.

Kuroko sat still as he felt Aomine's hands on him. He knew the werewolf was trying to be as gentle as he could but any touch to his abused neck and head made his muscles twitch in discomfort. The slightest touch was enough to make the young bluenette flinch and Kuroko closed his eyes and endured the pain silently. He really wished that he could take a shower. But when he imagined what the water and soap would feel like on all his new wounds, he decided that a shower could wait for the time being.

"So where are your parents anyway?" the sudden question invaded the silence, making Kuroko blink his eyes in confusion.

His parents? The curious question made his thoughts return to what Daisuke had told him earlier. His family was going to be gone later than what they had anticipated. Everything was okay though, that usually happened and Kuroko didn't get to see them much nowadays anyway. But Kuroko still felt that small pang of hurt whenever those words fell from the receptionist's lips. It was almost normal now, having Daisuke come to tell him that his parents would be gone for a few extra weeks. Kuroko felt a twitch of sardonic mirth fall on his lips. They couldn't even call him to tell him that themselves.

Maybe they were just afraid to confront their only son. Perhaps they realized the neglect they've been doing to him over the years and have come to the conclusion that it was far too late to try and make things better. That hiding behind long business trips and extended schedules were able to prevent the inexorable? Maybe they thought that avoiding their son had made it to where he hated them, and they were afraid to face him about it. Did they think him that heartless?

He tried to not let Daisuke's words get to him. He should really be used to it by now. They were never really around in the first place so why should it matter? They always said they were too busy with work or something had come up leaving Kuroko behind all alone. They had missed the special days, like Kuroko joining his first basketball team, winning one of his tournaments for the first time, even his birthday didn't seem all that important to them anymore. He couldn't remember the last time they had gone out to do something together like a normal family. He didn't really seem to know who they were anymore. They were strangers to him.

So why did it have to hurt so much?

Every day when Kuroko woke up to an empty house there was this void in his chest. Weren't kids his age supposed to wake up to their mother's voice telling them to get ready for school? Or the smell of breakfast cooking as they made their way to the kitchen? Hear their mother's nagging questions, checking if they forgot their lunch for the day as they walked out the door? What about coming home after a long day at school to a warm house and the smiling faces of their parents as they sat down to eat and talk about their days? Kuroko wanted to know how that felt.

"There, all done." Aomine said proudly, startling Kuroko from his thoughts. The dark skinned male showed Kuroko the cloth that was stained by his blood. "I got as much as I could. The rest is going to have to be washed off with soap."

Kuroko brought his hand to the back of his neck and relished in the fact that most of the foul substance was gone from his skin. It was a relief to be able to feel the air on his bare skin again and knowing that the blood was gone. Like washing away all the evidence proved that the vampire's existence wasn't real. Now all he had to do is change out of his clothes and he'll be able to sleep comfortably.

"Thank you Aomine-kun." Kuroko said gratefully. He sighed in content and leaned back against the couch closing his eyes in peace for a moment.

Aomine threw the dirty rag onto the coffee table. "No problem." He replied nonchalantly as he leaned back on the sofa as well. They rested there for a few minutes, listening as the sky rolled with thunder and the first few raindrops showered the windows. Soon footsteps sounded as Kise came back into the room. He gave an exaggerated sigh as he landed on the couch from across them.

"I thought I was going to die." He pathetically wailed sounding like he had just gone to hell and back.

Aomine peeked an eye open to give the blonde an annoyed stare for interrupting his nap. "Hearing your voice makes me wish that you had." The dark bluenette griped.

Kise gasped disbelievingly at the werewolf's words. "Aominecchi, you don't really mean that do you?!" he cried as he sat up from the black sofa to look at the frowning male.

"Tch." Was all Aomine said not wanting to deal with the overactive blonde's antics. He knew the copycat would know that he was joking with him. "I heard your conversation with the Leader. I guess we should make ourselves comfortable then?" Aomine changed the subject. Kuroko opened his eyes to give a questioning glace to the tall bluenette.

"What?" Kuroko croaked unable to say anything more, almost coughing at the way his throat scratched with the effort as he turned to look at Kise. Kise sat down properly on the couch and folded his hands together as he regarded the fatigued stricken teen with curiosity. Kuroko felt uncomfortable under the other's stare, not liking the way he studied him as if he were an animal. "Make yourselves comfortable?" Kuroko asked again.

"Our leader just called me." Kise started and leaned back on the sofa releasing a long breath of air as he crossed his arms. "I told him what happened and he wants to meet you. So we are to bring you to him tomorrow morning. With or without your consent." The young wolf added the last part when he saw a frown form on the teen's face.

"So it looks like we are going to have to crash at your place tonight Tetsu." Aomine mumbled looking as if he were already half asleep beside Kuroko. A few light snores drifted from the dark bluenette's lips a few seconds later as his body fell slack and he passed out.

"Tetsu?" Kuroko murmured to himself, brows furrowing at the new name. He watched silently as the taller teen stretched in his sleep before going still.

Kise gave a small snort from his place on the other couch with a small smile. He shook his head at his exhausted pack mate before following suit and laying down on the loveseat and resting his hands behind his head. He closed his eyes and let out a tired sigh as he drifted off into a dreamless sleep. Kuroko sat there blinking his eyes at the incredulity of it all. He let out a breath of his own and lay his head gently down on the armrest of the couch, closing his own eyes and curling his body into a ball. He'll deal with all of this tomorrow he told himself. And with that, Kuroko fell asleep in his living room with two things he thought never existed. Hopefully werewolves didn't snore loud.

***Line Break***

Kise knew that they had slept for much longer than necessary. He could tell when the light from the windows started to fall on his eyelids and burned his sensitive eyes, indicating that the sun was high enough to shine over the tops of the taller buildings. But Kise couldn't find it in himself to move, the warmth the light gave off felt nice and inviting so Kise lay there and lazily threw an arm over his face to cover his eyes. Everything was at bliss for the young werewolf and he wanted to get as much rest as he could before heading off to face his more-than-likely furious alpha.

So the blonde wolf lay there without a care in the world trying to fall back asleep. He almost drifted back to sleep but a horrible gagging sound started and pulled the teen back to the land of the living. Kise sat up with a start looking around wildly when he came face to face with unfamiliar surroundings. He blinked a few times, beginning to remember last night's events and wiped the sleepiness from his eyes. They were still at Kuroko's and one glance at the clock on the wall told him that he was in for a world of pain when he got back home.

Another series of retching noises filled the air again, rousing Aomine from his sleep. When Kise looked over to the bluenette's couch he found that Kuroko was missing. He got up quickly, ignoring the confused look Aomine had when he rushed in the direction the sounds were coming from. It was no surprise to him. Kise knew that the small teen would have thrown up sooner or later. And he wasn't shocked when he came to the bathroom to see the blue eyed phantom kneeling over a toilet, empting out his stomach.

The door was ajar and along the way through the hall things were tipped over, indicating that he must have ran to make it but was too drowsy to evade the obstacles in the way. He probably woke up to the nauseous feeling. Kise frowned a bit to himself as he watched the smaller teen, why was it that he hadn't woken up? Kuroko must have made a lot of noise trying to get to the bathroom, Kise is a light sleeper; he should have woken up when Kuroko was just starting to climb off of the couch. He shook his head. Maybe he was just too tired last night.

Kuroko sat there, heaving large breaths of air. The bile flavor left a nasty taste on his tongue and the bluenette refrained from grimacing in revulsion from the foul substance. His body trembled in fatigued and sweat laced his skin, trickling down his temples. He felt cold though and shivers racked his spine in a terrible way as if claws were tearing down his backbone, peeling the flesh from his bone. Kuroko wheezed and the movement of his core muscles made his breath hitch in pain. There was no doubt that he was coming down with something.

Kuroko moaned, having enough of everything and just wanting it to end. Why did he have to be the unfortunate soul to be targeted by those vampires? Kuroko couldn't recall ever doing anything in his life to deserve something like that. Not only did he get tormented by things of fairytales but now he is suffering from a fever produced by the many wounds littering his lithe body. He wouldn't be surprised to find out that he was also dealing with an infection somewhere. Kuroko stayed silent though, as his body was burdened by the effects of a fever induced by infection and sat motionless on the cold floor, not having the energy anymore.

"We need to hurry." A voice came from above him. Kuroko carefully lifted his head to see Kise staring down at him worriedly. He kneeled down beside him and placed his hand on his back to steady the swaying teen. "We have a medic at our place. He could fix you up." Kise murmured gently to Kuroko, afraid that if he spoke too loud he would hurt the smaller bluenette. Kuroko could only nod his head in understanding.

The phantom player shakily made his way onto his feet, flushing the toilet beside him before heading towards his room. Kise made a sound of protest, not wanting the bluenette to walk on his own so soon, but Kuroko held up his hand with a quiet 'I'm fine" to keep the concerned blonde at bay. Kise followed after the brunette anyways just to keep an eye on him as the two made their way down the hall to what the golden eyed blonde presumed to be the smaller teen's bedroom.

Kuroko trailed his hand along the gray walls, steadying himself along the journey, determined to make it to his room without anyone's help. He knew the blonde teen only meant well, but Kuroko was getting a bit annoyed at his almost nagging habits. Kuroko wasn't some weak child! He could take care of himself. Besides, Kise has done enough for me. Kuroko thought to himself. Feeling relieved when the door to his bedroom came into view, Kuroko stumbled to the doorknob and twisted it to open the white door.

His room was different from the others. As you stepped into the average sized room you could tell that it was unlike the other lifeless rooms the flat held. There were little knickknacks and souvenir objects that were placed around the room. Some had names of other countries written on them, making it seem like Kuroko had gone to those places. And some pictures littered the painted blue walls, each filled with the smiling faces of Kuroko and other people Kise didn't know about. Kuroko was rather young in them, but he was standing beside two people in each. Are these his parents? Kise wondered as he studied a picture that was close to him.

Kuroko looked to be about five or six years old. They were at one of the yearly festivals that happened in Japan. Lighted lanterns and a busy crowd filled the background behind them and a few fireworks had just exploded, showing sparks of red forever frozen in time in the dark sky. He was smiling as he held out a goldfish encased in a plastic bag probably having won it at a goldfish catching booth. Kise couldn't help but smile himself when he saw Kuroko's grin missing a few front teeth leaving a gap filled mouth. Kise's gaze shifted over to the man kneeling beside the blue eyed child. He had one arm wrapped around Kuroko and a thumbs up was shown at the camera as he held a toothy grin of his own. His eyes were just as blue as the child beside him indicating that he was probably his father. He looked like an older version of what Kuroko did now and if it wasn't for his brown hair, the two would have looked almost the same.

Kuroko had just pulled on some new clothes and when he turned around he found Kise looking at all the pictures framing his wall. The blonde had a stupid grin on his face as he viewed the photographs of Kuroko's earlier life. Kuroko walked up to stand beside the taller teen and regarded the picture he was currently looking at. It was one he had taken when he and his parents were traveling the states in North America. He was around seven at the time and his family decided that they were going to take a trip to Disneyland that day. So the picture had a view of the castle behind him as he posed with his arms out wide, a childish grin planted on his face.

Kuroko let a small smile form on his lips. Looking at the picture made a longing sense of nostalgia creep up his spine. How he missed those days. Back before his parents got too absorbed in their jobs, the three had often traveled the world experiencing as much as they could. Kuroko could never get enough of seeing all the different countries and cultures at that age. It was amazing to see just how big the world was. At that time, life seemed so perfect to the little bluenette. If only it had lasted for a bit longer. But everything eventually comes to an end. Kuroko frowned.

"Come on, let's go." A voice interrupted the silence. The two looked over to see Aomine leaning on the doorframe with his arms crossed. "The leader's going to be pissed no doubt." He stated with a yawn. Kise nodded his head and left the room. Aomine watched Kuroko curiously for a moment before giving his head a shake and offering the smaller bluenette a roll of bandages. "It would probably be best if you were to bandage that up before we leave." He said, pointing to the gash hidden behind Kuroko's hair.

Kuroko took the roll gratefully and followed the dark skinned teen out of the room, wrapping his head carefully in the white bindings. They met up with Kise at the front door before leaving the flat and making their way down the long elevator ride to the ground floor. They were stopped unceremoniously by Daisuke who fretfully questioned about Kuroko's health. It took a few times to calm the receptionist down but Kuroko managed to convince the ravenette that he was fine and they continued on their way. When they stepped outside they were met with the refreshing smell rain leaves and the sun felt nice when it beat down on them as they headed towards the subway. They zigzagged through the streets, avoiding water puddles left behind from the storm last night and walked down into the underpass of the station.

They were all silent as they sat down on the seats of the train. The train wasn't too overcrowded but the ones who happened to be in the same compartment as them were giving them wary stares. Kuroko glanced around, unsure of why they were giving them odd looks before he looked back at Aomine and Kise. Aomine had blood stains all over his shirt and down his pants and Kise had blood on his back from where he carried Kuroko the day before. The two looked scary as they sat there with stern expressions on their faces and their bodies tense with guarded suspicion.

Kuroko brought his hand up to the bandages covering his head and figured he didn't look too different with the small traces of blood left behind and his blood matted hair. And the bruises left behind from the beating he had taken yesterday. Kuroko pulled his jacket closer to himself, unused to all the attention and tried to make himself smaller. Kuroko sighed and closed his eyes. It seems even misdirection didn't work when he had blood covering him. Kuroko tried to not let it bother him too much though. At this point he was just glad to have gotten a night's rest and changed out of those filthy clothes.

The ride wasn't too long but it was a good forty five minutes before the train stopped and Kuroko followed the werewolves out onto the street above. They walked for another ten minutes and came upon a strange vehicle parked alongside the road. It wasn't like the other cars there in Japan. It was square and blocky with huge tires on it and was painted an obnoxious red color. Kuroko made out the name Jeep plastered onto the back of the car. An American car? Kuroko thought confused. He recognized it now as a popular vehicle in the states of North America. Why would they have something like this?

"This," Aomine said as he patted the hood of the jeep tenderly, "is my baby." Kuroko raised an eyebrow at the teen but didn't say anything as he was led around the car by Kise.

Kuroko opened the door of the red vehicle and lifted himself into the higher-than-need-be jeep. It took a lot of work to haul himself into the towering vehicle but he managed with a grunt of effort and slid into the grey seats. Not too long after Aomine started the jeep and they took off down the almost empty streets in the outskirts of the city. The ride was bumpy when they turned down a winding road that led into the forest. The sun was immediately blocked by the overhanging trees and the view of the city from far away was hidden by the greenery.

The ride was quiet and Kuroko watched as the outside world flew passed them. Every now and again Kuroko caught the glimpse of colorful wildflowers. They were stark compared to the endless green surrounding them and Kuroko marveled at how beautiful they were. Kuroko didn't get to see much of this in the city. Most everything was concrete or some other inanimate object. There was of course the occasional tree planted in front of a building but it was nothing compared to seeing it in its natural state out in the forest. But he didn't get to admire them long enough before they were covered by another bush or tree as they went along their journey.

Eventually they pulled up another road which was more like a long driveway than not. And Kuroko wasn't disappointed when he saw the tips of a house peeking through the foliage of the trees. However when they turned one last time to head directly to the house Kuroko got a good view of the place and came to the conclusion that it was not a house. It was a freaking mansion! The place was stunning as it stood with stairs leading up to the huge porch, columns framing the entrance. The place was at least five stories high and the building was covered by many designs engraved on the white walls. Kuroko could tell the building was at least three centuries old but it was well taken care of and had lots of effort put into it to keep it standing.

"Well this is it." Aomine said offhandedly. As they all stood side by side in front of the mansion.

Kise turned to look at his pack member before holding out his hand. "It was nice knowing ya." He said with a shaky smile. Kuroko was confused by the two's conversation. What did they mean by these last farewells? "I didn't think we would have died this soon."

"Yeah, but it was fun while it lasted." Aomine grinned and took the offered hand. When they were done they faced the front entrance, their muscles tense as they started forward. "Hopefully the Alpha will make it quick and painless." The dark brunette said before shaking his head at himself as if he just said something stupid. "Wait, never mind, this is Akashi we're talking about."

Kise nodded his head understandably in silent agreement leaving Kuroko confused as they walked into the house. He stood there alone now thinking the house to be intimidating. He steeled his nerves, not really anticipating the meeting of the alpha before following the two teens into the old mansion.


End file.
